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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. net — after costs
  3. bear — the animal
  4. net — in sport
  5. chip — to eat
  6. mark — a trace
  7. pop — to visit
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. court — of law
  10. stem — to come from
  11. lie — to recline
  12. net — for catching
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. court — of a king
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. chip — for betting
  17. court — for sport
  18. pop — music
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. bear — the animal
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. pop — soda

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com